Pianists

Michał Francuz – competition pianist

Born in Szczecin in 1980, the pianist Michał Francuz studied with Prof. W. Andrzejewski at I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, where he now works. As soloist and chamber musician, he has given concerts with orchestras at home and abroad, and collaborated with several outstanding artists, such as H. Czerny-Stefańska, V. Mierzhanov, or K. Kenner. In May 2015, he debuted at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and on 22-23 February 2016, carried out “Francuz plays Beethoven” project, which covered his performance of L. van Beethoven’s five piano concertos with the Poznań Symphony Orchestra. The undertaking proved very successful and found recognition with critics and music lovers alike. Michał Francuz has made several recordings of theatre music, incl. own compositions and arrangements, as well as recordings for the Polish Radio. In 2015, together with the Portuguese violinist Emanuel Salvador, he made a recording of K. Szymanowski’s pieces due to be released on record in 2017. The pianist’s repertoire covers compositions from the Baroque to 21st century music, with particular emphasis on works by Polish composers, as well as pieces by L. van Beethoven, F. Liszt, S. Rachmaninov, M. Ravel, and C. Debussy.

Hanna Holeksa – competition pianist

Student of Prof. A. Jasiński, R. Strokosz-Michalak, and T. Herbut, Hanna Holeksa graduated with distinction from the Academy of Music in Katowice and Hochschule der Künste Bern. Prize-winner of M. Magin International Piano Competition in Paris (1992, 2nd prize), 3rd National F. Liszt Piano Competition in Wrocław (1995, 1st prize), International K. Penderecki Contemporary Chamber Music Competition in Krakow (1997, 2nd prize), Odd-Fellows Musikpreis in Bern (2003, 1st prize), and RAHN Musikpreis in Zurich (2004, 1st prize), she is also holder of several prizes and distinctions for collaborative pianists at international instrumental competitions, as well as at a number of national events. As accompanist, she collaborates with violin, viola, cello and double-bass players, as well as flutists, clarinetists and vocalists. As soloist and chamber musician, she plays concerts at home and abroad. Her repertoire covers solo and chamber pieces from the Baroque to contemporary music. In 2011, defended PhD dissertation “The Piano in the Works of Karol Szymanowski”, which was the pinnacle of several years of her fascination with the composer, and work on his chamber output. In 2015, Hanna Holeksa was conferred a postdoctoral degree in art. Currently a lecturer at the Academy of Music in Poznań, where she is a collaborative pianist, and heads class of chamber music.